FGCU student study on economic benefits of complete streets in Tice community

BikeWalkLee has for some time focused on showing how a paradigm shift to complete streets has many benefits that go well beyond safety and livability.  FGCU Student Hailey Amundson recently completed a study on the economic benefits of complete streets. Using the Tice neighborhood as a study area, Hailey showed how a complete street could not only be safe, but economically beneficial.

  by Hailey Amundson (FGCU student)

Haley Amundson (Left) on
Tice bike audit 4/26/15

Among the many benefits of complete streets are neighborhood revitalization, physical safety, and individual and community economic growth. This study estimates how an increase in walkability resulting from constructing complete streets in the Tice neighborhood has the potential to increase community engagement, property values, the tax base, and the individual economic prosperity of residents.

The implementation of safe pedestrian and bicycling facilities is known as complete streets. Complete streets facilitate a wider range of multi-modal options for transportation to work, school, grocery stores, and service providers.

This study uses estimates from the National Complete Streets Coalition that shows that implementing complete streets has shown to increase property values and walkability, subsequently raising more funding for the local public schools and increasing the earnings potential of residents. National estimates cite a one-point increase in a neighborhood’s walkability with an increase of $700 to $3,000 in home values.

complete streets drawing for Ortiz Ave. in Tice

 As a result of increased property values, a complete streets initiatives can lend themselves to improved funding for local public schools and create an environment attractive to potential homeowners. The current high numbers of bicycle and pedestrian counts within the Tice neighborhood—as well as the secondary data from the National Complete Streets Coalition—suggest that if streets were designed as a complete street, then more residents would participate in physical activity, engage more as a community, and enjoy the economic benefits that come from smart investments in infrastructure. With these positive externalities associated with complete streets, suggestions for Complete Street policy implementation is recommended.

To read the full paper, click here.

Time to participate in development of Lee County's Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)

The Lee MPO's 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) process is underway and it's time for citizens to participate.  Below is an overview of the process, along with a resource document prepared by BikeWalkLee.

 Background:

The Lee MPO is in the midst of developing the countywide 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which sets the direction for the County's transportation future and dictates how transportation funds are spent in the region.  Given the shrinking revenues from all sources and the growing population, it is imperative that these are smart investments, getting the most bang for the buck for the county's highest priorities, consistent with the Board's goal of a balanced multi-modal transportation system.

For the uninitiated, MPOs are largely creatures of federal law and were created to coordinate the various elements of the fragmented regional transportation networks into one cohesive regional transportation system. One of the core functions laid out by the federal legislation is to prepare and maintain a long-range transportation plan.  MPOs must develop a 20-year LRTP that "supports improved mobility and access for people and goods (including operations and maintenance) and supports a good quality of life."  The plan includes a list of priority investments, anticipated available funding, and the regional goals and policies that will be pursued during that 20-year period.  It must be formally adopted by the MPO and updated at least every 5 years.  The 2040 LRTP must be adopted by the Lee MPO Board by December 18, 2015.

One of the goals of the federal law is to ensure that the public, especially those traditionally underserved by the transportation system, have opportunities to participate in the decision-making process, so there is increasing emphasis on improving public involvement in the development of the LRTP.

BikeWalkLee has been an active participant in the MPO transportation planning processes over the past six years, and has put together a resource document for the 2040 LRTP Process (with lots of links) based on our many related blog posts.  

Opportunities for participation:

The process is beginning in earnest, so now is the time to begin participating in the committee and Board meetings.  Click here to access the monthly agenda packages.

Here's the calendar of upcoming MPO Board and MPO committee meetings (Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) and Technical Advisory Committee (TAC)):

TAC and CAC committees generally meet the first Thursday of the month, with TAC at 9:30 a.m. and CAC and 3 p.m., both at the MPO staff offices (815 Nicholas Parkway East, Cape Coral).  

The MPO Board meets monthly on the third Friday of the month at 9 a.m. in the Cape Coral City Council Chambers.

Public Comment is taken at all these meetings.

 Later this summer/Fall there will be an opportunity for participation in a public workshop about the 2040 LRTP and we'll keep you posted when that is scheduled.

Participate in annual Ride of Silence May 20th

Plan to join one of the two local Ride of Silence events on Wed. evening May 20th to honor fallen cyclists and promote road safety.

2014 Ride of Silence, Fort Myers

 

 What began in 2003 in Dallas as a spontaneous outpouring of grief for a friend and fellow rider, struck and killed by the mirror of a passing vehicle, has rolled across the globe to become an international annual event memorializing and honoring cyclists who have been injured and killed while riding. The Ride of Silence is a worldwide event. In 2014 315 events were held in 49 states, 22 countries, and 7 continents.

The many hundreds of events share the same goals:  "To honor fallen cyclists, to promote road safety, and to make a difference."

Bike safety is not a fleeting issue, especially here in Florida which ranks as the very worst in the nation for cyclist safety with the highest fatality rate for ten years in a row.  In 2014, eight cyclists were killed in Lee County crashes, and one fatality in 2015 to date.

The Ride of Silence, in memorializing riders injured and killed, seeks to draw motorist's attention to cyclist's legal rights to full use of the roadways, to inform motorists that we are here, to watch for us--as if our lives depended on it.  Please come out to show your support and send the message that we deserve our right to operate on our own roads.  We are not just bike riders, but friends and neighbors and we must all Share the Road.

Locally there are TWO Rides of Silence planned--downtown Fort Myers and Sanibel.

Fort Myers Ride of Silence:  Sponsored by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club

• Arrive by 6:45, ride begins  promptly at 7:00 PM 
• Centennial Park 2000 W First St, Fort Myers (Under the Bridge at Heitman and Bay Streets)
• Cyclists will ride in a silent, funeral-style procession at 10-12 mph for 8 miles to honor those who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. 
• Riders are requested to wear black arm bands or red if they have personally been injured in a cycling versus motor vehicle accident. 
• Everyone welcome, free of charge. No registration necessary. 
• Helmets are required, no headphones please. 
• For further details email: ros@caloosariders.org

 Sanibel Ride of Silence: Sponsored by the Sanibel Bicycle Club in partnership with Matzaluna Restaurant and Billy's Bikes.

•   Riders are encouraged to arrive at 6:15 p.m. at Matzaluna Restaurant (1200 Periwinkle Way) for a short educational program. 
•  At 7:00 p.m. promptly the ride will leave Matzaluna's, down Periwinkle Way to the Sanibel Causeway.  The ride will cross over the first 2 bridges of the causeway, do the turnaround under the main span, and return to Matzaluna (approximately 7 miles round trip).
• Helmets required for all riders and front and tail lights are required if you plan to ride your bike home after dinner. 
•    Matzaluna will provide discounted food and drink for all riders. 
•    For further details, contact Patti Sousa: 395-1695.